--- title: Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout | TIME description: TIME cover story writer Jose Antonio Vargas and other undocumented Americans hold a Google+ hangout to address reader comments canonical: https://time.com/video/NtK9emze/ og:title: Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout og:description: TIME cover story writer Jose Antonio Vargas and other undocumented Americans hold a Google+ hangout to address reader comments og:url: https://time.com/video/NtK9emze/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NtK9emze/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout twitter:description: TIME cover story writer Jose Antonio Vargas and other undocumented Americans hold a Google+ hangout to address reader comments twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NtK9emze/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout [Watch (HLS stream): Undocumented Immigrants: Google+ Hangout](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NtK9emze.m3u8) (23:21)  _Published 2012-06-20. TIME cover story writer Jose Antonio Vargas and other undocumented Americans hold a Google+ hangout to address reader comments_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:25 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Protesters Block Buses Of Undocumented Immigrants in California](/video/PIOOsDTq/) ### Protesters Block Buses Of Undocumented Immigrants in California [Google Hangout: Debating the Debate with TIME's Politics Team](/video/nce79Pfo/) ### Google Hangout: Debating the Debate with TIME's Politics Team [Undocumented Americans: Inside the Immigration Debate](/video/IeRXis39/) ### Undocumented Americans: Inside the Immigration Debate --- ## Transcript [ SOUND ] Hi everyone, my name is Amy Lombard and I'm a social media editor here at Time. Welcome to our very first Google Hangout On Air. We're thrilled to have Jose Antonio Vargas, author of this week's cover story. We Are American, here with us today. As well as Roy ... will also be... the story. Thanks for joining us today guys. So to tell you a little about what we've been doing we did a on social media accounts for questions for all of you. And we've had such a great response so lets start with our very first question from Cory Copberg. Since you had no choice being brought here, what prevents you from gaining citizenship in this country legally? You grew up here, consider yourself American, and go about your life as any other legal American citizen. Why not take that final step and get full naturalized citizenship in the US? What loyalty do you have to a country that you have primarily only familial ties with? Why not take the education you have already gained and return to your countries? And use that education to build a better country there. Many others before you have done exactly that for their home countries. [ NOISE ] I'm gonna, I'm gonna go ahead and answer that questions. Um, because this is my country. You know, when people have emailed me that and said go back to your country, I ususally respond first sentence and this would be, this is my country. This is where I went to middle school. This is where, I had my first kiss, this is where I paid taxes, [ LAUGH ] and worked, and made many, many, many friends. And I think what's pretty cool too is the first part of the question which is that, why don't I just enter the legal process and make myself a citizen? That's actually one of the questions that I highlighted, in the Time cover story. And I'm sure that's a question that all of us, Gabby, you know, has gotten all these years. But, there is no process. There is no way for people like us To come forward and say we're here. You know, like we'd love to get, you know, we'd love to figure how that we can adjust our status and become American citizens. And really the first thing that's happened, and the first thing that's happened in the immigrant rights movement since 1986. ... was President Obama's , um, decision, on Friday; the executive order that said that people like Gabbie and Roy, who have been here before they came sixteen years old can come forward, so long as they have, you know, a high school diploma, they want to work, work permit and not be deported. That's been the first step, a big step. But a lot more needs to happen. [ INAUDIBLE ] I can take it. Yeah, I, I can talk a little bit about that. And so, I've been in the United States For two decades. Two decades of, you know, being in the fame classroom as many people here who are U. S. citizens and were born in this country, and have never felt any different. I am really, proud of the root and the country that I'm from, being Athena, but at the same time like, I feel it deep down in my heart that I'm an American. And I am just waiting for that opportunity and that time to be able to become a citizen, So that I could fully participate, so that I could vote, so that I could maybe you know, one day run for office or be part of a school board or a council member. And I think that you know when people tell me that it really saddens me, because, you know for many, many years that I've been living in this country I, I've been contributing and I've been feeling like American like anybody else. [ SOUND ] Any other thoughts on that question from you guys? Yeah, If I need to speak up, Amy. There's one distinction that I would like to make in that question. A person asks, why don't you just go back to the country and contribute back to that country? You asked em to, [ INAUDIBLE ] everyone else who had done that before, is that they didn't [ INAUDIBLE ] on the intention of educating in America, a high [ INAUDIBLE ] system, and bring back what they learned back in their country. We, we didn't come here with that intention, we came here, specifically, no [ INAUDIBLE ] no form of alon, I'll pass. I'm not sure No, when you asked how to go back for our country, and get back to where we came from [ CROSSTALK ] [ INAUDIBLE ] the answer is, this is like Jose said, this is where we came from, and this is a distinction I would like to make in that person's question. [ NOISE ] Okay. Should we move on to the next questions. So timely asked why do you think there is so much disconnect [ UNKNOWN ] information about emigration? For example. I read we [ UNKNOWN ] in American that understands that if you're here illegally. You cannot become a citizen because you need to prove legal entrance. And if you admit you came here illegally... You have just admitted to a felony which now bars you from both entry and citizenship forever. Yeah, I just... And that, to the fact, that the United States only awards work visas to those who have rare skills and advanced degrees. But even if you have a PhD from an American university, without proof of entry if you admit to the PhD you admit to the felony. There is no simple, thirty second answer. [ INAUDIBLE ] Well I can answer some of that. This is Vanessa, you know, I think there is a large disconnect because, immigration is very, very complicated. One of my favorite things of the time, Times articles was actually that it included this kind of a little chart to explain how complicated the [ UNKNOWN ] is so [ CROSSTALK ] If people are listening out there i think it would be really [ CROSSTALK ] important to take a look at that chart. [ CROSSTALK ] I cant really, Im not really gonna go into answering too much of that question but Ithink it also has a lot to do with [ UNKNOWN ] misinformation [ UNKNOWN ]. In the media, and I think it's really great that we're finally telling or own stories and sharing with the public that it is complicated. Gabby, any thoughts on that for you? Well, I think first of all, and I want ask [ INAUDIBLE ] was saying, it's a very beaucratic process but for somebody like myself. There was no options, and I remember when I was in high school, I had a teacher that used to call me Pocahontas, and he would say Pocahontas, when are you going to find your John Smith and get married so you can get your papers? And I know that he wasn't telling me that making fun of me but as a support system that, telling me he understood. And for me you know, that was my only option. To find a US citizen and get married to them so that I could have status. And that was my option because I actually came with the visa. And I want to make sure that we correct something that was said. Somebody said that it was a felony. And actually it's not a felony for people that are coming into the country. It's actually a civil violation. The same way that somebody might get a driving ticket, for, for driving too fast or parking in the wrong place. So you know, I think that there's a lot of misunderstanding, I know so miscommunication but also lack of knowledge of how difficult then hard it for people like myself, like my family, like Roy and Sedevic and Huernata Howst. Here. And José, for, for us to be able to you know, make that line. Right, people talk about it and José talked about it in his article, there is no line for people like us and so, what we are asking and what we're saying and, we're really grateful for the opportunity that the President has given us is to be able to take a deep breath and not fear deportation. But it's you know, immigration reform, and to really you know, look at the, at what is happening in the country and find a solution. Add to this problem. [ NOISE ] I'm actually gonna add just one more thing to that. Which is why I'm so thankful for Time magazine for letting me do this story. I've had so many people email me or send me a Facebook message. Saying that this is the most they've read about how the process of immigration in this country works. There is. As Gabby was saying just, just a few seconds ago There is such a flood, of misinformation, and ignorance out there. People just don't know what the facts are. The fact for example, that not everybody who's an undocumented, immigrant, is from Mexico. The fact that, you know, 1 million of undocumented people in this country are from Asia and Pacific Island. Who are Asian or Pacific Islanders. There's just a lot of facts out there that journalists, for whatever reason. Haven't been able to get the full story out and that's why I'm really happy about this Time Magazine, article that actually unpacks and explains a lot of that. I'd just like to add a little bit to that. I'm actually living proof of that, not only was [ INAUDIBLE ] and throughout, across the country, across the world. And it's really important, for me especially, to get the word out there, that it's not just, a Latino term that can Also, that we are all over the world. And I love that this article gets the word out and gives gives us the opportunity to let the world know that we are here and we are not leaving. Sorry about that everyone. Okay so, let's move onto our next question. Why do you think some Americans do not agree with President Obama's end to the deportation of children? [ COUGH ] So I think that it was expected, right, for some people not to agree with the leadership and this big huge step that the President took. It was very historic I, I want to add for him to have taken that bold step and said You know, they are one of us. We are one of, we are Americans. We are aspiring citizens of this nation. And I think that the reason why people disagree is because they don't have understanding of our stories. They don't really know What we have gone through and what our families have gone through to be here. But also, you know they don't know for instance the fact that my parents hired attorneys and the attorney unfortunately took the money and didn't do their job and practically put us in a very horrible predicament of putting my family in deportation proceedings. And people don't know for instance that there's ways of 13 14 15 years for some communities to legalize themselves and the whole time they are documented and they don't have the ability to drive they don't have the ability they are working but they don't have the ability to assert their rights as workers and so i think that there is a lot of lack of information. But there's also just this sentiment that across the world immigrants have been seen as the root of all evil and we continue to be scapegoated. So in this country before the economy was sound, the economy was doing well, we were responsible for instance when September eleventh happened you know that became the story right you know they could be terrorists and then now that the economy is, down and, and there's a lot of problems in the, the country. Now we are the reason why the economy is down. And maybe tomorrow it's gonna be another problem and they're gonna be blaming us eh, the, the other right. The other person that looks, not like you. And so, and I, I do have hope though, that with this Time magazine article, that people also, stops you know, relating us to these illegals. These aliens right? That they like to say. But they really see us as what we are, you know, we are Americans, we are part of this nation and we are part of this world. Hussein, what do you think? I think I love Gaby, that was a perfect answer. I mean again, I mean to me, I would love [ INAUDIBLE ]. You know, immigration now, is right along side the economy as a critical issue in this election. It is going to be a critical issue in this election. Because what is actually at stake in this election, more than the economy, is American identity itself, right. And as Mitt Romney talks about this, in the next few weeks, Governor Romney, can you talk to us? We would love to get on one of your campaign buses and just sit there with you and talk about immigration and how we can actually help each other, Democrats and Republicans actually come to figure out a solution. I mean I've heard you say on television that you want a long term solution. Alright, let's go find one together we would love that and it is now up to the politicians out there, people who are running for office, aspiring to be the President of the United States to be able to actually look at the faces and the eyes and the people that they're talking about and realize that this issue is not simple. It is not black or white. We're talking about complex human beings, and we're talking about a complex issue. So let's start having that conversation. Good answer. Anybody else want to. [ CROSSTALK ] Yeah Alright, let's hear it Boyd. The question was why do you, why do we think that people are opposing to what President Obama did and there's quite a few answers to that. Let me tell you what happened on Twitter the day that the President announced it. A journalist, I won't say his name, but a journalist tweeted me and asked me do you think just because Congress didn't act quick enough, that the President had the right to do so? And I started, started, I started thinking like not act quick enough? Not act quick enough? Try 11 years not acting quick enough. It was about time that somebody stepped up and did something. Maybe what the President will do will, is sensitize or motivate Congress to say okay, you know what, let's do it our way. Maybe, perhaps, that's the first reason why I think people are, are, are quite opposed to him because it came from the president it come from Congress. Technically, that's the people. At the same time, 11 years later, Congress still living acts. But the question is, what do we do now? That was the question the president was thinking about. Whether it's political, whether it's not, doesn't matter. It was humane. And that's what we have to look at. We have to look at it as a humane story. [ INAUDIBLE ] new birth for the country. Allowing 800, 000, a million people a chance to work and give back, and this current magainze that we are all talking about allowed that new conversation to come into play. You know how many calls I've got, just like Jose, just like Gabby but like others, not only called they got some people that said wow! I didn't realize how complicate our immigration system is. That's what the conversation's about. Once they understand our story, once they understand the immigration system, I think of a lot more people stock either supporting or say let's find a new solution and that's where Congress comes in. [ SOUND ] So [ UNKNOWN ], what do you think? So just going back to the question, why did, why do some Americans not agree with Obama's, [ INAUDIBLE ]. I think one reason why people don't agree with [ CROSSTALK ] They don't know our story. They don't know our story [ INAUDIBLE ] [ INAUDIBLE ] They know how, how much of a struggle its been, to go through college, to want to aspire to do more in this world. Trying to, trying to find a graduate school has been such a hard thing to do, to try to actually find the ways to think for grad school, seven years of, [ INAUDIBLE ] Trying to get a PH. D ., Almost impossible if you were an international student without any financial aid. I think people don't know our stories, and once they get to know our stories, they realize that, we actually contribute to the community of you know the country so much, and you want us to be so much more, but we just can't. Alright? [ INAUDIBLE ]. I think that once people understand that he wants to contribute and be useful and that he needs to [ INAUDIBLE ]. There should be a way for us to do what we want. That's why I think everything can be [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ INAUDIBLE ] what do you think about [ INAUDIBLE ] To go back to the question and I'll make it brief, ya know, why I think, ya know there's people out there [ INAUDIBLE ] us and I think h there's a lot of fear and those fears are, are legitimate you know people are afraid that they're not going to get a job after college you know the people are afraid of, of taking spots from other you know students but I think people I'm making the big point, is that, you know, we're all American. And whether you're undocumented or documented or U. S. citizen we need to be working together to, not only improve, you know, the lives of immigrants but improve the lives of all Americans. And I think once people start to realize that we're here to contribute and that we're here to help each other out, I think, you know? The con, you know the conversation had started to change. But I do understand people's fears. And you know, I welcome anybody who wants to sit down and tell me their story. Of how difficult it is you know, to be making it in the US, whether you're a US citizen. So, I think, we also need to be understanding but we are part of America, we are Americans, and we are not the others. We are just, you know, we're just like you. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] So now if you can tell our readers anything else. Any other comments you would like to add. Anything? Anyone, any last comments, concerns? This is Gabby and I wanted to tell the people a little about me and I think that's really important. So that we could be able to connect and so that people can see you know, where my dreams are or what my dreams are. So, I came from Ecuador when I was a child, started in the third grade. And, I was actually a little bit advanced in math, and they put the me in a gifted program. And I didn't know English, but they quickly started a culture reading, and started learning that in this country, anything was possible. And I felt really safe here. Actually, I remember walking to school. And walking from school to our, our home with a group of kids and that's something that I could've never done in my country. And I remember going and crossing a bridge and sitting down underneath the tree just talking and laughing and being kids. And being all you know, going Getting to the house really late and my parents, being upset with me. But, I, I would do that because I felt safe. I felt, like nothing was going to happen. And that was the reason, one of the reason why my parents moved to the United States. Because they wanted safety for their children. I went on to be a, a great student. I was part of the orchestra. I was part of the basketball team and track. And you name it. I was there in school and loving every second of it. And never like I said before. Felt different. And, the first time I learned about my status was when my sister tried to go to college and they denied her. And I knew then that I had to do something. And I tried to prove myself, and I tried to do as much as I could. And when I graduated from high school, the, the harsh reality hit me. That you know even though my friends were going to top schools you know that I couldn't do that, and it really hurt me but I was able to persevere. I was able to graduate from college and have three ed degrees, and my dream is to be a music therapist and work with autistic children and be a teacher, you know have a special education degree and I want to work with. Children with down syndrome and my dream is to open music therapy centers. Start here in the United States, great policy that changes the lives of those people, and then go around the world you know, teaching and, and creating these systems. And you know, I, I love Maria Montessori, and she's one of the people that I look up to, and one day, you know, my aspiration is to be the Maria Montessori of the United States. actually, I, I hope you guys are noticing by the way that you're looking at us there are five undocumented Americans here from Brazil. [ UNKNOWN ] Brazil, Israel. [ UNKNOWN ] Israel, Armenia, Ecuador, and the Philippines. So, I mean if there's like one last thing that we wanna be able to say to you is you know We're not. This is by the way the beauty of social media. This is why I started writing about social media before they even called it social media back in 2007. Because we are exposed to each other. All we have to do is find each other. All we have to do is be able to have open hearts and open minds and being able to want to connect with people. Like we're human beings. I mean, actually this is the very last point in the article is that we are not, as Renaldo was saying, we're not the other. We're actually one of you. And you gotta do, and all we gotta do is talk. So, let's get the politics out of the table. This is not about Republican or Democrat, or it's not about what's politics and what's not. This is about doing the right thing. And this is about connecting as human beings. So please, go on YouTube, go on Facebook. United We Dream is on Facebook. Find Renata. She's right on Twitter. Roy is great on Twitter. All of us are on Twitter and Facebook. Please, find us. And thank you so much for Time magazine for putting this together and being able to put faces and names and hearts and minds to undocumented Americans in this country. Thank you. We were so glad to have you and we just want to thank everyone for tuning in today and stay tuned for more Google Hangouts in the future. Alright, thanks again guys. 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